The little girl didn’t reply. He wondered if she was about to fall asleep, but she was staring up at the ceiling, wide awake.
Feeling awkward, he stood up and started to pace around the room. “Perhaps tomorrow we can take Prince William down to the river. As long as the weather permits.”
“We can play fetch,” she mumbled.
He relaxed at her response.At least she’s not ignoring me.“Yes. Let us just take care not to toss the ball into the river this time. We do not want to worry our resident River Lady.”
Lilly smiled, her tears officially dried. Evan ran his hands in his pockets and looked at the door. “I should let you sleep,” he said. “Goodnight, Lilly.”
“G’night—Goodnight, Father.” She corrected herself at the last second.
Her enunciation is getting better every day. At this rate, it will not be long before she is more eloquent than half the people in the ton.The thought brought him pride, but also sadness. He didn’t like the thought of his little girl growing up so quickly.
As he went to the door, his foot brushed against something soft. He looked down to see a teddy bear on the ground. He picked it up, frowning. “What’s this doing here?”I thought she stopped playing with her toys last year. Maybe Prince William dragged it out from some nook or cranny.
Lilly stayed silent, staring at him with wide eyes.
“There’s no point with your room being cluttered with old toys,” he said. “I’ll arrange for someone to take it to a charity shop tomorrow.”
“No!” Lilly shouted.
He looked at her. “There is no need to shout. That is no way to properly communicate.”
She let out a sob and pouted at him.
“What are you trying to say?” he said, stepping closer to her. “Are you trying to say you still want this old bear? I thought you had outgrown it.”
She turned onto her side, so she was facing away from him. “I hate you,” she whispered.
The words stabbed him in the heart. He gritted his teeth and put the bear on the nightstand. “You can tell the maids to take the bear when you’re ready,” he said. Somehow, he managed to keep the emotion out of his voice.
Good. Just remain a picture of strength for her. She needs to know she can depend on me, no matter what her opinion of me is.
Lilly did not turn to look at him, nor did she respond.
He turned to go to the door. “I look forward to playing fetch at the river tomorrow,” he offered.
“I’m not going!” she said. “Don’t wanna.”
He sighed. “You meant to say ‘you do not want to’.” His voice was quiet as he opened her bedroom door. “Sleep well, Lilly.”
As soon as the door closed behind her, he was alone in a dimly lit hallway. He heard Lilly mumbling to herself from behind the door. “You wouldn’t make me get rid of my toys, would you, Mr. E?”
Mr. E. That person or figment of her imagination was haunting her. That couldn’t be a good sign. He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.Marina was wrong after all.
He should have known better than to think that Lilly would be all right spending time with him. She might have known him allher life, but his presence did not bring her the stability Marina thought it did.
“She needs her mother,” he muttered to himself as he went to his own bedroom. “Not her father.”
Chapter Sixteen
After a full week of being Duchess of Pemberton, Marina knew things needed to change, and they were clearly not going to change without her interference.
She wanted to help Lilly, and not just because it was her duty as stepmother. She wanted to give the girl a proper family full of love.We both love Lilly, even if there’s no chance for love between us.The thought made a lump form in her throat.
Sometimes, she indulged in foolish thoughts about Evan falling in love with her, or at least showing more affection than the distant civility he usually gave her. Those thoughts made her heart ache because she knew the possibility of that happening was next to nothing.
After making sure the nanny and Lilly were busy having their afternoon tea, Marina marched into Evan’s study and opened the door.
